L M (Loretta) Hartley-Bangs, LISW-CP

L M (Loretta) Hartley-Bangs is a licensed South Carolina therapist with 36 years of experience supporting people through depression, anxiety, trauma, and addiction. She practices as an LISW-CP, a credential that indicates licensure as an independent clinical social worker and reflects advanced training in clinical practice. Over decades of work with young adults, caregivers, women, and older adults facing life transitions, she has developed a patient, strengths-based approach that centers each person’s unique history and goals.

Hartley-Bangs focuses on practical, compassionate care for individuals navigating family dynamics, communication challenges, and codependent patterns, as well as for those recovering from substance use and posttraumatic stress. She combines clinical insight with empathy to help clients build resilience, develop healthier coping strategies, and address mood and behavioral concerns. By offering steady guidance and attentive listening, she aims to create a non-judgmental environment where people can explore difficult experiences, strengthen relationships, and move toward meaningful change.

Whether addressing caregiving stress, life purpose questions, or complex mood disorders, Hartley-Bangs emphasizes collaboration and realistic steps toward wellbeing, supporting clients as they work through life’s most challenging moments.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Support

Hartley-Bangs integrates client-centered therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) into her online work. Client-centered therapy focuses on creating a respectful, listening-centered space where the client’s priorities guide the work - it is especially helpful for life transitions, relationship concerns, and building self-understanding. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a skills-based approach that helps identify and shift unhelpful thoughts and behaviors, often used for anxiety, depression, and coping with everyday stressors.

She may also draw on dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) techniques when emotional regulation and interpersonal effectiveness are central concerns - DBT offers specific strategies for managing intense emotions and improving communication. Choosing the right approach is part of the therapeutic process; Hartley-Bangs works collaboratively with each person to determine which methods best fit their needs, goals, and preferences, and adjusts the plan as progress unfolds.

Online therapy through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging provides flexibility for scheduling and access, making it easier to fit sessions into busy lives or to connect from different locations within South Carolina. These options allow ongoing therapeutic support in formats that suit individual comfort and lifestyle while preserving the collaborative, skills-focused work that characterizes her practice.